Close Encounters

I remember, when we first moved to Boulder, we were immediately star-struck. All the skiers, climbers, riders, and for that matter, places themselves that we had been reading and dreaming about for years while sequestered in the rainy South East were suddenly a reality. When we first got to Boulder, Erin, within a month had already nearly sealed the deal on an internship with Freeskier ski magazine; and was out rubbing shoulders with Glen Plake and the like in downtown Denver. (If I can dig up the picture of little Erin and mohawked Glen, I'll post it later) For my part, my job at Chilis was not as glamorous, but just going to the climbing gym or Eldorado Canyon and hanging out with the hero's of my high-school-climbing-mag-romanticism was enough to make me feel a bit of the red carpet.

It's one of the things I truly love about the climbing world. If I was a basketball player of average ability, there is no way I would ever find myself eating breakfast with Michael Jordan...but, even though I'll surely never grace the cover of Climbing or Rock and Ice magazines, I have managed to climb, befriend, and even dine with at least 6 people who have! (Our own Katie Girl Blue is one, and my long-time friend John Heisel is another.) But what happens when you move away from Colorado, the Hollywood of the outdoor world? Well, you still meet amazing people.

This summer, an Ecuadorian climbing partner of mine called me up to attend a party for Ivan Vallejo. We went to the local sports bar and gobbled up free wings and beer while Ivan spoke about his recent conquest of all 14 8,000 meter peaks. Being only the seventh person to climb all 8,000 meter peaks without supplementary oxygen, Ivan also did so without any of the media glory and sponsors (Rolex!?!) that climbers like Ed Viesturs are lucky enough to have. It was humbling just to be invited to attend his party.

Another Ivan, Ivan Kashinsky used to be our neighbor when we lived in the bohemian Quito neighborhood of Guapulo. Ivan is a modest guy, a surfer and photographer who just finished shooting a full spread article for National Geographic on the female wrestlers of Bolivia. He and his wife, Karla, are now planning a photography tour to the southern tip of South America. Grab a National Geo and check it out!

Finally, we come to my favorite kind of celebrity...the cooking kind. Ever since my trip to Peru in 2004, my mouth has been watering for both the Cordillera Blanca Mountains and the Thai food prepared at Siam De Los Andes by owner and chef Naresuan. As the guidebook says, it's acclaimed across the country as the best Thai in Peru; and this is no exaggeration. While back in Peru this summer, Erin and I found time to visit Naresuan and his family, and it was just as I remembered it...fresh, spicy, balanced, rich, and perfect. But the real treat? Last week Naresuan was in Quito, on his way to his summer home in Columbia. He stopped over at a friends house to stay the night, and to blow our minds with a Thai feast beyond description. That night, devouring my third dish of red-thai-curry, I looked around the table of amazing people gathered for Naesuan's gift of food and realized that you don't have to be in Boulder to meet great people, you can be starstruck wherever you go.

Naraseuan and me at our friends' house cooking up some down-home Thai.